That was something to see - .50 barrels glowing red and sagging.
We burned up both of ours on our 1st trip up the Perfume River during Tet 68. We learned our lesson and back in Da Nang we scrounged extra barrels. For the rest of our missions we carried two spares for each gun and 500 round cans of ammo. We’d fire up 500 rounds and change barrels. Our M-60 used 1000 round belts and also had two spares, when the belt was fired up the barrel was changed. No more drooping gun barrels. We were fortunate to have mutual coverage with the guns.
I don’t imagine it would be as easy on a tank. Our boat’s guns were on deck mounts and served by two men, barrel changes took less than a minute.
I got some gloves from supply..its all a matter knowing the headspace and timing...I was on a Sheridan tank, the .50 is mounted on top the turret.
The main gun was 152mm..we had heat rounds and a “flechette” round which had 10,000 metal darts in the shell casing. The TC’s firing and control handle was moved from the sitting position and placed so the main gun and 60 could be fired from the hip while standing in the cupola..
It was a very brave Gook to rise up and attempt to fire his RPG on me..